Rail Industry News
Linda Puchala assumes NMB chairmanship
The National Mediation Board (NMB) is pleased to announce that Ms. Linda A. Puchala has been named Chairman of the National Mediation Board, effective July 1, 2022. Mr. Gerald W. Fauth III and Ms. Deirdre Hamilton remain as Members of the Board.
U.S. rail system still deteriorating
We’re now in the second half of 2022, when the four major U.S. Class I’s have committed to turning their operations around, but the current state of play is not encouraging.
Will Supreme Court ruling chill STB, FRA?
Whether the Surface Transportation Board (STB) and Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) will suffer from a June 30 Supreme Court (SCOTUS) trimming of regulatory agency authority to interpret their own governing statutes and remedy ambiguities remains to be seen.
Solving big safety problems with big data: FRA RISE
Despite tremendous progress in railroad safety over the past 40 years, some statistical measures of safety performance indicate that we have reached a plateau.
City of Houston, Harris County to sue UP over toxic contamination in Fifth Ward
The city of Houston, along with Harris County Attorney Christian D Menefee, on Tuesday, announced their intentions to file a lawsuit against Union Pacific alleging “long-standing contamination” in the city’s Fifth Ward.
STB directs UP to continue operating under emergency service order
The Surface Transportation Board has directed Union Pacific to continue providing priority service and reports on that service for a California feed and poultry company under an emergency order issued in June.
Letters citing freight rail service crisis continue to circulate at STB
This week, more than 50 Democratic and Republican members of Congress asked the STB to address the problems, particularly those disrupting U.S. food production.
Analysis: Big 4 revised STB service recovery plans
The four largest U.S. freight railroad companies—BNSF, CSX, Norfolk Southern, Union Pacific—all reported, per the request of the Surface Transportation Board, supplemental information about their efforts to improve service and network fluidity.
Will rail service improve in 2nd half of 2022?
The second half of 2022 is underway, and freight rail stakeholders will be watching over the next several weeks and months how the railroads untangle service issues that seemed to be persisting through June.
CN, NS seek conditions on CP-KCS merger
The Surface Transportation Board (STB) on July 1 accepted for consideration responsive applications by CN and Norfolk Southern (NS) regarding the Canadian Pacific-Kansas City Southern merger.
Illinois lawmakers wary of CP-KCS merger
Federal lawmakers have stayed on the sidelines regarding the regional impact of a white-hot proposal to combine two major freight railroads, but that’s changing.
IBEW ends strike action at CN
The Canadian National Railway and the union representing 750 of its signal and communication workers have agreed to enter binding arbitration, bringing an end to a two-week strike.
Amtrak and BNSF sue owner of dump truck company, widow of truck driver sues BNSF over Southwest Chief accident
Amtrak and BNSF Railway have filed suit the company that owns the dump truck involved in Monday’s fatal collision and derailment of the Southwest Chief — and the widow of the truck driver has sued a BNSF employee and the county where the accident occurred.
AFL-CIO’s TTD urges senators to revise common carrier obligation, give STB more power to deal with rail service issues
The leader of a federation of rail and other unions has written a group of U.S. senators asking that Congress give the Surface Transportation Board more power to enforce railroads’ common-carrier obligations as a way to address ongoing service issues.
AAR reports rail traffic for the week ending June 25, 2022
For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 493,374 carloads and intermodal units, down 4.4 percent compared with the same week last year.
Teamster campaign pays off to uphold misclassification law protecting drivers
The U.S. Supreme Court today declined to take a case seeking to overturn a California law on worker misclassification, and by doing so expanded employment protections to California truck drivers currently misclassified as independent contractors.
Virginia moves forward on New River Valley rail plan
The Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VPRA) and Norfolk Southern (NS) on June 30 announced the financial closing of a deal that will expand commonwealth-supported Amtrak service from Washington, D.C., to Roanoke and to the New River Valley.
VRE to contribute millions to advance passenger rail expansion
The Virginia Railway Express (VRE) will contribute $119.2 million to support Virginia’s purchase of rail right-of-way in the Interstate 95 corridor from CSX.
Victory for California high-speed rail as state budget is approved
The state can now move forward purchasing trains, building tracks, and fully electrifying over 100 miles of right of way.
RRB Q&A: Medicare for railroad families
The following questions and answers provide railroad workers with basic information on Medicare eligibility and coverage, as well as other information on the Medicare program.
BLET News
Deadline approaches for BLET’s Austin regional meeting, July 12-16, 2021
Those planning to attend the BLET’s regional meeting next month in Austin, Texas, are reminded that the deadline to make hotel reservations is next week — Friday, June 18, 2021.
BLET honors the memory of Jose Hernandez III, son of BLET member, killed in VTA mass shooting
All men and women of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) send their deepest condolences to Brother Roy A. Benbow, his family, and friends. Brother Benbow is a member of BLET Division 839, whose step-son Jose Hernandez III was killed in the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) mass shooting in San Jose, California, on May 26, 2021. Jose was one of nine victims in the tragedy. He was just 35 years old.
Federal court orders UP to put BLET officers, member back to work
A federal judge in El Paso, Texas has ordered Union Pacific Railroad (UP) to reverse the unlawful suspensions of a group of six members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) — five of whom are elected officers of Division 192 in El Paso. The judge ruled that all these union members had been wrongfully suspended by the UP in violation of the Railway Labor Act (RLA).
Former BLET Vice President Stephen D. Speagle, 1946-2021
Stephen D. Speagle, former National Vice President of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, passed away on May 26, 2021. He was 74 years old.
Memorial Day 2021
By Dennis R. Pierce, BLET National President Each year, on Memorial Day, we pay tribute to the men and women who have given their lives serving in our military, and we honor them for defending our country and our way of life.
Amtrak General Chairman Mark Kenny reelected by acclamation
Mark B. Kenny was reelected by acclamation to his seventh term as General Chairman at the Amtrak General Committee of Adjustment’s fifth quadrennial meeting, which was held May 19-20, 2021.
On the Right Track: 2021 Triennial Election manual now online
The 2021 edition of “On the Right Track,” the Local Division nomination and election procedure manual, is now available for download from the Members’ Area of the BLET website and, for those Officers who have access, the document is also accessible in the Document Library in UnionTrack.
RRB Labor Member reminds railroaders about importance of Form BA-6
The following is a message to Rail Labor from John Bragg, Labor Member of the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board.
Registration ongoing for BLET regional meetings in Austin, Nashville
Registration remains ongoing for the BLET’s two regional meetings taking place in 2021: July 12-16 in Austin, Texas; and August 2-6 in Nashville, Tennessee. For both meetings, CDC guidelines regarding COVID-19 protocols will be strictly enforced to protect the health and safety of everyone in attendance.
Lyons reelected CSX-Northern Lines General Chairman
William P. Lyons was reelected by acclamation to his third full term as Chairman of the CSX-Northern Lines General Committee of Adjustment at its quadrennial meeting in Pittsburgh, Pa., held May 4-6, 2021.
